Storm door with utility opening



Nov. 22, 1949 J. B. HENGEMEL STORM DOOR WITH UTILITY OPENING Filed March 50, 1945 G d. MM F 0 m 5 2 WM 2 u 1M z 5. t v 1 3 @my h 03! J .m v V M v V 4 M vJ M e 0 my i 3 J 9 V L .v 8 iii] 7+4 w 4M )\\6 a a ll 5 F 5 8 H m J 45 f 6 w 7 BY Q 1 11,

' ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT 2,488,724

s'roRM noon 'wrrn UTILITY omnvmc John B. lHengemel; Fort '"irhomasfl'gy. Application Ma'rch 30, 1945, nerialrNo, "5851702 2 Claims. 1

.My invention relates "to storm door structures having anew utility. It is an object of my :intion to provide a storm door through which the householder may converse with persons calling at ,the house to ascertain their purpose, and to acceptdelivery of -packages of moderate size, all without opening the storm door or releasing its locked condition. vThe structure therefore .-provides protection to the householder from unauthorized entry.

It is .an object of my invention to provide a structure of this typewhich does not significantly increase the cost =oi the storm door or change its external appearance, for-harm its internal appearance.

.It is also an object of my invention to provide a structure of this type applicable to storm doors having removable sash, without affecting either the removability of the sash .or the ease with which it may be handled-or stored.

.It is an object of invention to provide a structure of the class referred to which is simple and fool-proof in construction and operation, and which provides adequate means of'safety, all .as hereinafter described. v

These .and other objects of the invention which will'be s'etlforth hereinafter, or will :be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that construction and arrangement of parts of which .I shall now describe certain exemplary .embodiments.

Reference is made to the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 .is an elevational view of a storm door embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a partial :sectional'view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view taken .along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4.-is a partial sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

In Figure 1 I have shown 'astorm door 1 which may have either built=in muntins or a removable sash 5 in one or moresections. The sash in storm doors is frequently made removable so that a screen frame may be substituted for it for suinmer time use; and my invention is as applicable to removable sash as it is to storm doors having irremovable muntins.

The door or the removable sash is divided by vertical and horizontal muntins 6 and 1 into spaces indicated at 8 for glass panes; and these panes are fastened in place in most of the openings in any of the usual fashions as by wooden molding strips or lines of putty, or a strip on one side and a line of putty on the other. By the (o1. Tao-3t) able wooden molding strip since "the strip itself may form an integral part of the muntin.

It is a purpose of my invention however, taprovide astructure are which oneof the panes of glass is slid-able to provide :an access opening. This may be located ratrany [part of thesash, but I have indicated at :9 a islidable pane of glass which in its opening movement will slide over another adjacent pane of glass I 1) in the sash.

=In Figures '2, ,3 and 4, I have indicated some way in which this may beaccomplished. In Figure 2-, upper .andlower .muntins .are indicated at Ia and lb. Molding strips, which :may if desired, he integral with .the muntins, are indicated at I .iaand ltb. vThese strips vand the placement of them are the same as those elsewhere in the sash, and a normal plane would lie against them as does the pane l0 infFigure .3. But .the sliding pane .9 must be so positioned-as to slide over .thenormal pane l I and also must be providedwith grooves or a suitable .trackway in which to .slide. For this purpose v.I :may provide a metal trackway having a-channelpoiition l2 turned in one direction, and. another channel portion LI 3 turned in the .opposite direction. The channel portion 1 3 .ac'ts as a .filler to spacethe sliding pane 9 in such fashion that it will pass the fixed pane H1. .The outer edge of the channel 12 may be provided with .a jstifienin turn-over in the metal as .indicated .at M.

The metal channel members in .my preferred construction extend entirely across the openings in which panes '9 and II] are located, but in the opening holding pane 10,-, the channel Portion I3 is eliminated as shown in Figure 3, leavingthe portion I2 which acts as means for holding the pane I0 against the molding strips 1 la and Nb. My metal channel members .may easily be attached to the muntins by .nails driven through the metal, or otherwise as may be desired. Similar guidew'ay's and fillers may be made by the use of wooden strips as will be evident; but metal guideways are preferable. They are not themselves subject to swelling and they provide better guides in which the movable pane 9 can slide.

The central muntin 6 is cut away in its mid section as at [5 in Figure 4, to provide aspace through which the pane 9 can slide, and leaving an outer strip as a continuation of the muntin and indicated at So.

It is contemplated in my invention that the pane 9 will be dressed "as to its edges, and in which event no extra framing is necessary. It can, however, be framed if desired. In order that the householder may engage the edge'of the pane with his fingers to slide it to the left in Figure 1, the right hand frame member of the sash is provided with a recess I6. On each side of this recess there are preferably continuations of the channel members l2, l3, indicated at 12a and I 2b. The central muntin 6 also is relieved as as IT, so that the operator may push the movable pane 9 to its extreme right hand position. To permit the operator to start the pane to the right when it is in its extreme left hand position, the left hand frame member of the sash is relieved or provided with a finger opening as at 18 in Figure 1.

Pane ID will lie against strips H, Ila or llb at one side as shown. On the inside of the door at the top and bottom of the opening for pane I0, it will be held in place by the channel members I2, as shown in Figure 3. Continuations of these channel members may lie on either side of the finger relief H3, in the left hand frame member of the sash and are indicated at l2c and l2d, in Figure 1. At the right hand end of its opening, pane it) merely lies against strip H, as shown in Figure 4 Also I provide means for locking the movable pane 9 in its closed position for further safety. Such means need not be elaborate, and an entirely suitable means is indicated in Figure 3. It is a strip of spring metal 19 fastened to the muntin la by screws, or other suitable means, indicated at 20. It has a portion 2| which will lie in the path of pane 9, as shown when that pane is in its furthest right hand position; and it also is bent upwardly to provide a finger grip portion 22. This portion may be engaged by the fingers of the operator and locking member I9 deflected outwardly to permit the pane 9 to pass it. When it is in its inward position as shown, however, it is impossible for a person outside the door to move the pane 9 to the left.

Any spaces such as the one indicated at 23, in Figure 2. between the channel member [2 and the edge of the muntin 7b may be filled with putty or a wooden strip as may be desired. It will be seen that the provision of my sliding pane does not change at all the outward appearance of the storm door or sash, and changes its inner appearance very little. The construction is simple and inexpensive, but is a matter of great convenience and safety for the householder.

Modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit of it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In. a storm door having a sash portion. divided into openings such that a pair of openings lie side by side w th a muntin therebetween, a construction comprising a fixed pane of glass lying in one of said last mentioned openings, and a movable pane of glass slidable to cover either opening, said movable pane of glass being held in a channel in a plane ofi'set inwardly from the plane of the fixed pane, and being slidable therein, the muntin dividing said openings being relieved to permit sliding movement of said slidable pane,

said slidable pane being slidable to uncover fully the opening not covered by said fixed pane, so that its edge may lie substantially beneath said relieved muntin and said muntin and opposite frame members of said sash having relieved places therein such that the fingers of an operator may engage the edges of said movable pane in its several positions, the channels for said movable pane comprising metal members affixed to upper and lower muntins, said metal members in the opening containing the fixed pane serving to hold said fixed pane against abutments on the opposite side, said metal channels including filler portions in that opening normally covered by said sliding pane, said filler portions serving to space said channels inwardly from abutments on said upper and. lower muntins, so as to offset said movable pane from the plane of said fixed pane.

2. In a storm door having a sash portion divided into openings such that a pair of openings lie side by side with a muntin therebetween, a construction comprising a fixed pane of glass lying in one of said last mentioned openings, and a movable pane of glass slidable to cover either opening, said movable pane of glass being held in a channel in a plane ofiset inwardly from the plane of the fixed pane, and being slidable therein, the muntin dividing said openings being relieved to permit sliding movement of said slidable pane, said slidable pane being slidable to uncover fully the opening not covered by said fixed pane, so that its edge may lie substantially beneath said relieved muntin and said muntin and opposite frame members of said sash having relieved places therein such that the fingers of an operator may engage the edges of said movable pane in its several positions, the channels for said movable pane comprising metal members afiixed to upper and lower muntins, said metal members in the opening containing the fixed pane serving to hold said fixed pane against abutments on the opposite side, said metal channels including filler portions in that opening normally covered by said sliding pane, said filler portions serving to space said channels inwardly from abutments on said upper and lower muntins, so as to offset said movable pane from the plane of said fixed pane, and means for locking said slidable pane in closed position, said means comprising a spring metal member attached to a muntin of the opening having the fixed pane, and having a portion normally lying in the path of said movable pane. JOHN B. HENGEMEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,776,160 Leber Sept. 16, 1930 1,797,049 Classon Mar. 17, 1931 1,860,648 Bokan May 31, 1932 2,159,530 Murphy May 23, 1939 2,319,004 Lotter May 11, 1943 

